Smart tourism

The development of information and communication technologies changes how many industries and services operate. Those changes are also concerning all sectors of the travel industry, although some more than others.  Mobile access to the internet allows consumers to purchase through transaction-based applications such as e-ticketing, QR-code services, Bitcoin, E-wallet, and using a third party like PayPal.  E-Wallet is predicted to be one of the future's most successful payment modes but has achieved limited acceptance in developed countries to date. Similarly, this service is considered new in Malaysia.  Utilizing Davis' Technology Acceptance Model, this study examines the factors contributing to E-Wallet's adoption among the millennial tourist in Kuala Lumpur.  Using the self-administrated questionnaires, data from 100 respondents were collected and analyzed using SPSS.  The finding revealed that perceived ease of use of E-Wallet among millennial tourists proved to be the most substantial cause besides the significant positive relationships found from other variables such as perceived usefulness and social influence in the context of millennium tourists.  However, perceived credibility was found not related to the adoption of E-Wallet.  These findings have important theoretical and practical implications, particularly for the development and marketing of E-Wallet service, which will support the long‐term success of mobile commerce.

Purpose- Rural tourism is considered a potential solution for rural communities to overcome economic challenges; in this context, smart tourism can be viewed as a logical advancement from traditional tourism, providing a balanced approach to revitalizing rural settlements and creating new economic opportunities for farmers and local communities. Accordingly, given that smart tourism can play a significant role in the sustainable development of businesses and the overall economy of villages, the aim of this research is to analyse the impact of smart tourism on the sustainable development of rural businesses in the Tafresh County.Design/methodology/approach- Therefore, this study is applied and employs a descriptive-analytical method, and from a paradigm perspective, it is classified as quantitative research. The required information was collected through both documentary-library and field methods. The statistical population of the study includes 28 villages in Tafresh County. In the field method, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, one-sample T-test, and the MARCOS multi-criteria decision-making model were utilized.Findings - The results from the exploratory factor analysis indicated that among the five identified factors, social and infrastructural factors in smart tourism have the greatest impact on the sustainable development of rural businesses. The results from the MARCOS decision-making model also showed that the villages of Kookan, Khank, and Naqousan are in a more favorable position regarding the indicators of smart tourism in the sustainable development of rural businesses.